Vintage Omega Seamaster Review

November 22, 2005

One of the downsides of collecting watches is the price of admission.While it’s true that there are a lot of truly fine poor man’s watches out there (and there are folks who can convincingly argue that some examples of these bargain models match their pricier counterparts in all respects), the big names don’t come cheap.You like Rolex, Omega, Tag Heuer, etc., bring money and lots of it.A cheap example of one of these will set you back at least six or seven hundred dollars (and that for a quartz model no less), while the good stuff is well up into the thousands of dollars.If, like me, you just don’t have that kind of cash to throw around, (my kids and my money go private school), the situation could get really depressing.Fortunately, there is another way go.Take a deep breath, step back and consider the used watch market, or if you like the classier term,vintage market (to make it sound a little less like buying a used car).

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It should be noted that even in the vintage market, some brands hold their value so well that there are few bargains to be had.If you are expecting a Rolex for $200 you will be sorely disappointed.Other brands, however, are very reasonably priced and if you take your time and look around, you can do very well.A few words of caution, however.The fact that a watch is old does not mean that it isn’t a fake.The reality is that there are fake vintage watches out there (Seamaster 300 fakes aren’t uncommon) and it isn’t hard to mistake one for the genuine article.Similarly, there are a lot of so-called frankenwatches (a seemingly acceptable watch that is actually an amalgam of several other watches) floating around.The bottom line is that you should make a point of learning something about the vintage watch you are interested in.With the amount of available data online (Omega, for instance, has an online database of its vintage watches and movements) and the existence of enthusiast forums where one can ask an expert a question, researching a vintage watch isn’t terribly hard anymore.Other caveats with a vintage watch, don’t assume that the water resistance is functioning and expect the lume to be burnt out.Lastly,make sure that you have access to a competent watchmaker.It is reasonable to expect that a vintage watch will need a cleaning if nothing else.If all of this is too much for you, stick with new watches (not that there aren’t plenty of fakes there either though).

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On to the Omega.This particular model is a 1966 Seamaster DeVille. It is powered by a model 611 hand wound movement with a date display.The watch is a traditional sized man’s watch, small by today’s standard at 35mm (including the crown) but it still looks quite good.The watchcase is Omega’s Unishell design that opens only through the dial side which can make servicing tricky.The crystal is an acrylic one that fortunately was not scratched.The watchband is a Hadley-Roma that I added for about $25.The Omega was very clean when I got it, and when opened, it had a jeweler’s date mark on the inside of the case indicating a servicing had been done two years ago.Not surprisingly, the original lume was not functioning.

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The only substantial change that I made to this Omega, aside from adding a strap, was to have the lume re-done by Kent Parks at Everest Watchworks.A non-operative lume on a watch just plain bothers me and Kent is a wizard with this sort of job.Now it looks great, probably better than new considering the advances in lume technology and I am very satisfied with the result.You can’t even tell that anything was changed under normal lighting.Only in the dark is the change apparent and even then, in keeping with the watch’s character, the lume is just enough to be read.It would look ridiculous if it glowed like a Seiko diver after all.

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Now none of this would really mean much if I had paid through the nose for this Omega.That, thankfully, was not the case. The total bill for the watch, the re-lume, the new band and a thorough look-see by my jeweler came to about $250.All told a good deal.

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10 Responses to “Vintage Omega Seamaster Review”

Hi Ed -Great post. I’ve been collecting vintages for the last several years now and it has allowed me gain enormous experience with watches of all kinds for less than what I would have paid for a new high-end watch.And that’s a great Omega you have there. Not exactly on my list, but if I had run across it, I’d have looked at it closely. :-)John

Hi Ed,Nice watch collection, I stumbled upon your blog while doing a little online research about Molnija pocket watches and Vostok wrist watches. I’ve bee looking through your archives and admiring your watches and ejoying the reviews. I also love watches and have a very modest collection of watches. I only have two mechanical watches, one is an old Molnija that was given to me about eight years ago (the movement still works but the hour hand moves feely if the watch is picked up) and the other is a chinese made Berenger (made by Dakota) pocket watch. This one keeps excellent time and is designed so that you can see the movement at work from the front and the back. My most expensive watch (but not my favorite) is a Tag Heuer that I found in a little junk shop near Crawfordsville, Indiana while visiting family up there. I only paid $25 for it and I felt like I was cheating the guy but on the other hand it could be a fake. If it is it is a very good fake. Is there a way to tell? And is there a way to find out what model my Tag is and date of manufacture? Sorry this has gone on and on. Really enjoying the blog!!Andy

I glad you like the site. It sounds like the Molnija just needs to have the hour hand re-mounted. Any jeweler should be able to do it. Shouldn’t cost much either. I don’t know about the Berenger but I like display backs. As for the Tag, if you could send me a picture of it, I might be able to tell you its age. My e-mail is ebrandwein@yahoo.com.

Hi Ed,I don’t know much about watches but inherited one from my grandfather, which does not have great sentimental value (compared, say to his hamilton railroad watch which I will never sell). I am hoping to find a way to sell it but don’t know what I’m doing and I came accross your site. It is a late sixties or early seventies seamaster deville with the date. It is in absolute mint condition as I think he got it as a business gift and possibly NEVER wore it at all. It seems to wind up and keep time just great. Any thoughts about selling it? – keith (saintnarcissus@gmail.com)

Sniff around on ebay for similar Omega’s and see where prices are running. If setting up an account on ebay is a bit daunting for actually selling it, the Poor Man’s Watch Forum, pmwf.com, has a good sales forum as does watchuseek.com

Hi Ed!Nice info on the Seamaster. I have a 60’s era Seamaster that I inherited from my late father. He wore it every day I can remember…Maybe you can point me in the right direction on this, since I know squat about watches.1) The crystal is raised plastic and has a couple of noticeable scratches. A non-name watch repair company tried buffing them out, which did little good. Do you know if they make replacements for these and where I could find one?2) The watchband is metal and I have misplaced one of the links, which I need for the watch to fit on my wrist correctly. Do you know if anyone sells replacement links or similar wristbands?Thanks for the info,justin@northsidepost.com

The crystal on these old Omegas is plain old acrylic. Any decent jewelry repair shop should be able to replace it for $30 or so. As for the link, that is a bit trickier. Old bracelet parts can be hard to find as they usually haven’t been manufactured for a long time. Your best bet is to search for Omega bracelet links on ebay. I’ve had some luck that way in the past.